Meet Catherine Lahlouh
Let’s take a moment to meet the family behind Lahlouh, Inc! As business owners, we’ve always celebrated the fact that we are a family-owned and operated business and pride ourselves on maintaining a family feel with our employees and clients.
We decided to create a series that showcases the individual personalities behind the name. Each of them have taken a different path into the print industry and have grown into their professional careers over time with the help and mentorship of the Lahlouh team. Next up is Catherine Lahlouh, daughter of the chairman of the board, John Lahlouh. Read on to learn a little more about Catherine and her path to print!
Name:
Catherine Lahlouh
Age:
29
Generation:
3rd Gen
How long have you been at Lahlouh?
I’ve been with Lahlouh for almost 3 years.
Fun fact:
I considered going to culinary school after high school with dreams of opening a restaurant. I didn’t end up going that route, but culinary night school might still be in the cards.
What role do you currently hold? What roles have you held in the past?
I currently manage Lahlouh’s marketing efforts as a Marketing and Business Development Specialist. My role is to educate print buyers on Lahlouh’s capabilities and inspire them to push their creativity to its limits. My first role at Lahlouh was as an office paper shredder (very important work). I’ve held many temporary roles at Lahlouh, but marketing has been my first full-time role.
Before coming to Lahlouh I worked in tech sales at Cisco. It was a great experience that taught me a lot about the psychology behind selling and how much a brand’s voice can affect their impact.
Best advice you’ve received since you started your professional career?
Be curious. There are always things you can learn from other people that can impact your career and sometimes that advice will come from unlikely places. Be open to it and follow your instincts.
Favorite memory from working at Lahlouh?
I have many memories from Lahlouh that I hold dear, but one of my favorites has to be working the assembly line with my siblings and cousins over the summers when we were younger. Something about the commorardy we built by knowing we all had the same goal in mind and that we were all willing to make sacrifices to support the business. It’s funny to think that moments that seemed tedious and boring at the time have had such a profound impact.
What advice would you give to someone wanting to get into the print industry?
If something about it excites you, take it and run! The print industry is changing so dramatically right now that it’s an incredible time to jump on board. Pushing boundaries and questioning the status quo can be an uphill battle at times, but I can guarantee you if you stick to it the results will be truly fulfilling.
What do you think the future of the print industry looks like? How do you think that will impact Lahlouh’s future growth?
I think the future of print is bright! While the conventional notion of printing is slowly going away, the future of print is more creative than ever. I see major growth coming in packaging, direct mail, and large format printing. Now that we live in a digital world, people are craving tangibility. I think the pandemic really showed us that it’s in our DNA to want connection and print helps you do that.
Lahlouh has been growing its capabilities since we first opened our doors back in 1981. We have always known that change is the only constant and I think one of our core values is pushing boundaries and staying ahead of the curve. I believe it’s what’s made us so successful. So with that, Lahlouh’s growth is inevitable with this approach and I’m excited to see how we adapt to the omni-channel space.
If could give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be?
Go easy on yourself and follow your gut. Life’s hard enough as it is and what is meant to be will happen in due time if you pay attention.
Does Catherine's story resonate with you?
Reach out and connect with her on LinkedIn here!
